Kitten found in truck's engine recuperating

Thursday

Jul 18, 2013 at 8:59 PM

The black-and-white kitten is very much on the road to recovery.

By Adam WagnerAdam.Wagner@StarNewsOnline.com

Allison Haffey was nervous when she called the veterinarian Thursday morning to check on the kitten she and a group of coworkers pulled from the housing of a pickup truck's fan.The injured, dehydrated and scared cat survived a 45-mile ride to Burgaw in the engine compartment of the pickup Wednesday before it was taken to Burgaw Veterinary Hospital Clinic for treatment."Yesterday it was breathing so hard and fast and it was so stressed out and I was a little scared when I called, ‘What if it didn't make it?'" she said.Haffey's worries proved unfounded, though, as the black-and-white kitten is very much on the road to recovery. While it is still at the vet's, being monitored for dehydration and being nursed to health, the expectation is that the cat will make a full recovery."I was so relieved because last night, dropping it off, the difference in the picture that you see today is a world of difference," Haffey said.The group of employees at Cardinal Metal Works in Burgaw who rescued the cat are confident they'll be able to foot the bill for its examination, fluids and the partial amputation of its tail. Anyone interested in helping to pay for the cat's care can send donations to the Pender Humane Society, Attention Deb or Allison, P.O. Box 626, Burgaw, NC 28425. Donations should reference the cat that was pulled out of the pickup truck.Extra donations could go to the Pender Humane Society and be earmarked for the care of other cats or kittens that need medical care, Haffey said.Several people expressed interest in adopting or fostering the kitten, but Haffey said no decision will be made until its treatment at the clinic is complete. Anyone interested in fostering the cat should fill out an application at the Pender Humane Society, 1407 N.C. 53 in Burgaw, she said.After a stressful Wednesday afternoon, the cat's rescuers are finally able to take a deep breath after finding out that the feline is likely to be OK."I feel like I've been through a whirlwind," Haffey said.